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The Lazy River band was based in Louisville, KY in 1976. The original band members are shown in the band's photo. Vince Gill and John Jump were the frontmen. Vince was the main lead vocalist. He played electric mandolin, fiddle, and accoustic & electric guitars. John Jump sang lead vocals, wrote original songs, and played guitars. Lazy River band's soul, energy, creativity, and charisma were built around this powerful duo. The diversity of Lazy River's songs depicts the many influences that the band had adopted as its own: bluegrass, newgrass, western swing, Hank Williams, country rock, Grateful Dead, and jazz. All the Lazy River band artists were formerly members of the Bluegrass Alliance band at the same time, with Lonnie Peerce. They all left this band together when they formed the Lazy River band in 1976. Similarly, Sam Bush and founding members of the Newgrass Revival band were also members of the Bluegrass Alliance band together in 1971, with Lonnie Peerce. Sam and the other artists all left the Alliance together when they formed the Newgrass Revival band. It shold be noted that Tony Rice and Dan Crary were former members of Bluegrass Alliance. We have a YouTube clip of Bluegrass Alliance with Tony Rice and Sam Bush shown as members of this band in 1971. Monte Barry was soundman for the Bluegrass Alliance in 1976. Band members and Monte were roommates together at Harry Bickel's place. It was a musical jamming house in Louisville. Monte also worked as a videotape operator at a TV station in Louisville. When the Lazy River band formed up, they asked Monte Barry if he would quit his full-time job at the TV station to become their soundman full-time. Monte agreed and he became the Lazy River soundman. Monte designed and built some custom-made wiring assemblies, and he built several stage boxes for the PA system and the monitors. Monte invested his life savings, and he purchased a sound mixer and some PA amplifiers. He already had some studio quality Electro-Voice mics that the band used. Besides being a Hippie, Monte was also a very successful live music taper. His taping follies and sound system skills all began with him taping Grateful Dead shows in 1973. This is how the Lazy River sound system was born. This is why these tapes are here. Almost immediately, Robert Pool quit his bassist job with Lazy River. He moved back to Austin. The band was putting together their promo kit for getting gigs. They made another appointment with their photographer to get their new bassist in their photo spread. The new bassist, John Bieser, was still in St. Louis. The band almost convinced Monte to pose with them in a new photo, even though he was just the soundman. After an argument, Monte ran off to his girlfriend's place. That left Lazy River no choice but to use their original photo. John Bieser plays bass on these tapes, but Robert Pool is shown in their photo. After a couple of months, Vince Gill and John Jump left Lazy River band at the same time. This was the beginning of the end of the band. It never really got going. We never had enough paying gigs to keep everyone interested. New band members Eric Weber, Frank Heyer, Pat O'Conner, and Bruce Cromer joined the band. Now the band had 8 members and a soundman. We have them recorded on Monte's tapes playing bluegrass, swing and jazz music with violin and guitar virtuoso Mark O'Connor, at age 15, on one of their tapes. The gypsy mode was taking hold. A few months later it was over.
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